Just A Joke
by JessenoSabaku
Summary: Originally a oneshot with Gaara and Lee, now a trilogy. First: Gaara and Lee. Second: Sakura and Naruto  Sasuke's in it too, although it's only implied he's who he is in the story . Third: Kiba and Naruto. Gets increasingly morbid. I still love it though.
1. Just a Joke: The Art of Laughter

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. But, it is an awesome manga/anime! You should check it out, buy some manga, and some DVDs. On a related note, no profit was earned from this. Just a fun little idea for a story. So, without further ado, enjoy!**

To say that Lee was confused would be similar to saying that a forest fire is warm. Gaara, however, sat there with eyes as cool and calm as ice … but what was bubbling underneath, Lee had no way of knowing for sure.

All Lee could understand at this point was that staring at the Hokage while she was on a rampage felt like staring down the barrel of a machine gun and nearly felt like it, because she was dropping F-bombs all over the place. If words were bullets, he'd have been shot full of holes already. And she wasn't nearly finished with him yet. Who knows what she'd choose to say to Gaara? It didn't matter if he was Kazekage. Lee knew that when Tsunade got angry … alliances were of no matter. No. Joke. About it.

The day had honestly started out peacefully, and actually … fun. But it had definitely started out in an unexpected way.

He'd only been walking through the village, minding his own business. It was very early in the morning, right after he woke up and went for a jog, then headed off to the training fields to do some early morning exercising before he went to go prod the Hokage about whether there were new missions yet. This morning, like all the other mornings, he slowed down on his jog while walking through the busier parts of the village to admire the bustling atmosphere. And while he was admiring, something caught his eye up ahead.

Amidst some boring beige and green and dark colors was a small bit of blood-red. The atmosphere around the small blotch seemed to be tense, and even the daily market-goers of Konoha were avoiding the group. When a path began to clear, he saw that the "boring colors" had actually been a cluster of Sunagakure shinobi, and … were those two Konoha escorts? That could only mean one thing …

"Gaara-kun!" He cheerfully called out, walking up to the group. Every single shinobi drew their weapons, glaring him down with killer intent. They also all hunkered down, giving him a look at Gaara and giving Gaara a look at the person approaching him.

Gaara didn't seem to give much of a reaction. He huffed quietly with no change of facial expression to give any indication he had done so. "…"

"Relax, you guys, it's just the weirdo," Kankuro said casually from behind Gaara. Lee had not seen him at first but then recognized the cat's ear-like black flaps of cloth sprouting from above and behind Gaara's head.

Lee leaned over to the side to see him and waved. "Good afternoon, Kankuro-san, Temari-san!"

"Hey, Lee." Kankuro responded.

"Hey, Bushy-brows!" Temari called companionably. Lee didn't know what he'd done to get in good spirits with Temari, but it seemed like he must've done something, or else she wouldn't have chosen to call him that nickname. Of course, she could just be in a good mood, or thought it was a funny nickname whenever she heard it.

Lee straightened and walked up to Gaara, watching the uneasiness of the shinobi who had probably been assigned to guard Gaara and making sure he didn't set anyone off.

"It is always great to see you again, Gaara-kun! So, what are you here for? Let me guess, probably something having to do with the alliance between Konohagakure and Sunagakure, right?" Lee didn't even pause, because while he wasn't Gaara's best friend, he knew him well enough to know that he'd get a vacant stare if he expected some kind of common pleasantries in return, and if he didn't ask exactly what he wanted to, he'd get an answer so curt that he wouldn't have any kind of answer to the question he'd wanted or expected.

"Yes." Gaara said shortly. Lee was glad he'd guessed it right, and even gladder that he'd prepared himself this time so that he wouldn't have gotten confused or have been left with too little information.

"Kazekage-sama, you shouldn't—!" One of the guarding shinobi tried to interject.

"Man, Bushy-brows, you're sharp," Temari commented, blowing through the interruption, her tone just on the verge of being in awe.

"Things … have not been looking good for Sunagakure," Kankuro began.

"Oh no! What happened?" Lee cut in, genuinely concerned.

"I'm getting to that!" Kankuro snapped. "Anyway, we've been having some trouble with neighboring villages and even some whole countries. Some of them have been giving threats, some of them have been undermining us, and some of them have even been executing their threats for reasons still unknown."

"Of course, a lot of this is just speculation," Temari said, trying to smooth over the irritation and Lee's increasing worry, and surprisingly enough, anger, which was even more increasingly clear as Kankuro spoke. "But just in case all of this is true—although the possibility is high considering some previous relations and alliances—we want to know that Konoha has our back and isn't somehow … by some chance …"

"Plotting against you?" Lee said without skipping a beat. He didn't seem to notice the uncomfortable atmosphere that followed. "Regardless of what happens, I wish you all the best, and even if you cannot count on anyone else, you can definitely count on me!" He saluted proudly and smiled. "If you ever happen to need me for anything, please don't hesitate to ask!"

Temari grinned and Kankuro rolled his eyes, seemingly unimpressed. Gaara just stared vacantly, eyes trained on the fashion fiasco before him.

Lee put his hand back to his side and bowed to them. "I imagine if I stay around any longer, I will just be getting in the way. Please, all of you enjoy your stay!"

Everyone nodded at him, even the uneasy guarding shinobi, and he turned, heading back off towards the training grounds, this time at a more leisurely pace. He figured if they were here so early in the morning, they would be immediately going to see the Hokage, and that meant that he would have to busy himself until they were done and he could go check and see if there were any tasks he could perform. He strolled along once more, looking out towards the horizon.

_I have a feeling this is going to be a good day!_

"If I cannot do five thousand push-ups, I will have to do six thousand sit-ups!"

The time had gone by quickly, and the sun had long ago begun to bore down into his back, which had signaled that noon had already almost arrived. Lee got wrapped up in his training, trying not to bore himself while he gave the Kazekage and the Hokage plenty of due space before he even began to broach the topic of going on a mission. He knew that if the Hokage somehow got annoyed during the discussion of alliance (which she usually did with any serious matter involving the stoic Kazekage) he would most likely be eaten alive and sent away without anything to do for the rest of the day.

So his stomach growled emptily with a sound he could not hear while he was lost in his determination. His arms pumped beneath him strongly, although he could feel them weaken steadily with each movement. He pushed harder and harder, each rep getting tougher and tougher, until finally he collapsed under his own weight, breathless and panting.

"W … why did it suddenly … get so difficult to continue …?"

"You haven't taken a break."

The deep voice startled him out of his thoughts and he craned his head upwards, just barely catching green eyes staring back down at him.

"Gaara-kun!" He scrambled to stand up, assuming his usual stance with his back straight and his head held high. He smiled brightly at the unresponsive man standing in front of him. "Is the discussion between you and the Hokage-sama already finished?"

"Yes," Gaara replied, but Lee got the feeling he wasn't telling him everything. He ignored it.

"Did you need me for something?"

"No."

"Oh. How long did I make you wait?"

"I just wanted to see."

"What?"

"You didn't make me wait." Gaara's voice implied that he was trying to keep Lee from feeling guilty, while at the same time sounding just a tad defensive, as though he was saying nobody can "make" him do anything. And if Lee was right in guessing all of that … it meant that Gaara had been there for quite a while.

"Ah. Then what did you want to see?"

"What made you strong."

Lee cocked his head just the slightest bit and his mind went blank for a moment before he realized what Gaara was talking about. He'd only had one fight where Gaara had seen his strength, and that had been the fight between the two of them during the Chuunin Exams.

"Oh, that. It was hard work and determination! I hope you weren't thinking that it was just this routine, because surely anyone can have any routine and succeed as long as they apply these two things to themselves!" Lee looked like he was an actor on one of those cheesy commercials and if a neon billboard had been built up with the words "hard work and determination" between his arms, it would've been more than fitting. Oddly enough, his smile and body language still managed to maintain genuineness.

"…" Gaara simply stared at him some more. Evaluating him and sizing him up, almost like a predator would when looking at their prey. It was as if he'd gone through the trouble of correcting him just to get him to this point so he could look at his reaction. Years before, that stare would've scared him. But years before was when they'd had their fight and he'd been injured, and had a reason to be scared. Now he realized he was greatly indebted to his person—in more ways than one. Whether the feelings behind it matched was another thing entirely. He also realized now that that was just the way Gaara stared. He'd obviously restrained himself quite well or just not found interest if the look in his eyes was truly a hungry one.

"Eat with me."

Lee stared at Gaara blankly, once again trying to process the sudden yet quiet—and this time commanding—choice of words. It's not that Lee minded any of it, but … it was weird. Then again, Gaara was weird, and he didn't know enough to gauge whether or not he was always like this or just when he was in a certain mood. Come to think of it, he'd never even heard of Gaara eating. At all. He knew he had to eat somehow, but because it'd never been mentioned, he felt like it somehow didn't fit. Just thinking of something like Gaara patting his stomach after a good meal and letting out a satisfied belch …

Images of Chouji's after-dinner routine overlapped with Gaara's image and Lee couldn't stop the laughter before it came flowing from his mouth. Gaara, for the first time Lee could remember, looked a little shocked and confused. He then furrowed his non-existent brows, looking a tad insulted, and still very puzzled.

"… Why are you laughing?"

"Aha …! S-sorry …! It's just the thought of someone stoic like you eating out is very amusing!"

Gaara scrunched up his nose a little. "Why?"

"Sorry, it w-was just that I imagined you following the etiquette of a … uh … much less well-mannered individual. That was why it was so amusing."

"…"

"I-it was a joke, anyway!"

"… A joke?"

"Y-yeah."

"… What is a joke?"

"… You're kidding me."

He knew that the people who usually talked to him talked about business and that he hadn't had much conversation with people who were humorous, but … he really didn't know what a joke was?"

"I … know the basic definition," he said carefully. "But … there are too many kinds of jokes. I don't understand what is one and what isn't."

"Oh, I get it now!" Lee grinned. Then his stomach very impolitely growled. "But first I will have to take you up on your offer. I will further explain what I know while we are eating."

Gaara nodded and started off without waiting for Lee. Lee took a few quick steps to catch up with him then slowed down again to accommodate the Kazekage's rather leisurely pace.

As Lee had partly expected, all the while that they were at the restaurant (which Gaara had unexpectedly insisted that they go to, as if he'd thoroughly checked out all the restaurants and picked just that one) Gaara did not eat much, and he came to assume that his thought earlier had been at least partly true. Although he also figured that he'd need to see Gaara in his "natural habitat" to confirm whether or not it was true. And quite frankly, he didn't care too awfully much anyway. Most of the time was spent with Lee explaining to him very diligently about all the kinds of jokes he knew, and why he thought they were good or why he thought people thought they were funny. He was surprised to see that he'd held the Kazekage's attention very firmly, even though the subject matter was literally silly, and that also meant that he was continually stared at with those icy green eyes. It was a bit humbling, honoring, and uncomfortable all at the same time.

He was already uncomfortable enough given the fact that there didn't seem to be much reason behind Gaara's asking him to eat with him, and Gaara nearly always had a reason. He'd heard this from many people and seen it himself. It seemed like he almost didn't even want to save Lee during their fight with Kimimaro without the excuse of being indebted to Konoha. So when their discussion lapsed into a peaceful silence and Lee sipped at his tea thoughtfully, he couldn't help but turn to Gaara and ask him the question on his mind.

"Gaara-kun, can I ask you a question?"

Gaara had also seemed to be quietly enjoying the silence as he turned his head to face him with a questioning stare.

"Why did you ask me to eat with you today?"

He couldn't read the next expression that came over his face. It almost looked blank, but it wasn't, that much he could tell. He couldn't for the life of him figure it out.

"I … have been thinking for a while," Gaara began, choosing his words thoughtfully. "I have the friendship and support of everyone in not only Sunagakure, but Konohagakure, especially Naruto. And while … all the affection is not unwelcome … I don't want people to be friends with me because I'm a hero. And … while it's not like that with Naruto … it's … I just wanted a casual friend. Everyone has at least one."

Lee chided him in his mind for being so naïve. There were plenty of people who had not one casual friend and not even one at all. Although, he knew Gaara had understood that at one point. "But why me?"

"You insisted on paying me back." The fight with Kimimaro. "But you did that when you assisted Naruto and the others in my rescue." He guessed he was saying that if Lee therefore became his friend, it would not be out of a debt he felt the need to repay. "And you said you didn't hold a grudge against me as well." Now it was back to the fight that they'd had during the Chuunin Exams. So, basically Gaara wanted a casual friend … and he figured Lee was as casual as friends were going to get for him.

Lee laughed and smiled coyly. "How do you know I was telling the truth?"

Gaara looked him in the eyes with such a deadly serious expression that a pressure fell like a lead weight on his chest. "No. You're too honest." Lee nearly got the shivers. It was almost scary how serious he was and how firmly he believed in his statement. Lee must've really been his only hope if he was willing to get so mad over …

"I-I was just kidding, Gaara-kun."

"… A joke …" Gaara's face softened as he understood.

"Yeah. So … do not get worked up about it. I am thankful that you trust me, and would never want you to feel otherwise."

The weight was lifted off his chest and he felt like he could breathe again. He actually rather liked Gaara's company, but when he got serious, he got serious quickly, and it could go either downhill or uphill with a drop of the hat in that moment. Lee just returned to quietly sipping his tea as they sat in silence for a little while longer.

"… You know that even though I am your 'casual friend' I will be unable to see you very often, do you not?"

"… I am aware. But … they say absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"… Good choice of words."

Their meal had proceeded in a much friendlier way. Sure, Gaara was still one of the oddest people he'd ever met and while very simple to understand sometimes, also very hard to figure out at others. But that was precisely the reason why he was the perfect conversationalist at the table. Lee was convinced that he could take up the topic of curry and immediately get a very interesting response that could have anywhere from nothing to do with the subject to completely focused on it and anything in between, although most of the time it was either of the two extremities. Lee was very interested to hear about all the goings-on in Sunagakure, and especially about the history between Sunagakure and Konohagakure. It made the story of how the alliance came along all the more amazing, and Lee was very happy to have been a part of it, even if he was only a bystander in the Chuunin Exams when an attack was carried out.

Consequentially, it'd taken them quite some time to finish eating, and when they walked back out into the sunlight again, Lee gauged that it was getting close to the start of the evening. He looked around and up into the sky, then down at Gaara.

"Gaara-kun, do you know how long I was training?"

"I don't know exactly, but for several hours, give or take."

"Oh … wow. Did you really finish with the Hokage that early?"

"…"

"… Gaara-kun … did you finish your discussion with the Hokage at all?"

"… I finished my end."

"… Oh." It still felt like he wasn't telling him everything.

A sharp yell pierced through the air that made his blood run cold. "Don't move!"

Lee made the mistake of turning his head back to look at the voice that was now approaching from behind. That was when three men tackled him down to the ground, and everything went pitch-black.

And now they were in the Hokage's office and Tsunade was screaming her head off. He imagined that he must've been dragged there while the Kazekage was treated with a lot more common courtesy. He tried to listen to what Tsunade was saying.

"… this happen? Right when we got to the subject of a possible spy in the system of higher-ups in Sunagakure, this red-headed little f—" Shizune, to her left, coughed, trying to at least delay the profanity. "f—f—fruitcake decided to just disappear—" Lee looked at Gaara and he just looked back with a stare that said "I said I finished _my _end" and the fuzzy-browed man was left with the even bigger question of how they managed to avoid a group of elite shinobi so casually for such a large amount of time "—and then one of these jacks finally had the gall to say that a certain taijutsu specialist had greeted them on the morning in question and that his words could be interpreted in a way that might suggest that not only the Kazekage himself was a spy, but that the taijutsu specialist was an accomplice! Not only that, but the Kazekage was not only spotted talking with you in the training field but also talking extensively with you at a local restaurant! So, what _did _you talk about this morning, huh?"

"I only said that I wished them the best and that if they needed me I was available!"

"And that can be dissected as _code_!"

"Hokage-sama, could I possibly be an accomplice to Gaara-kun? It is already obvious that he cares deeply for his village and I care deeply for mine! What possible explanation could there be for some kind of treachery like this coming from two people like us?"

"There are all kinds of possibilities!" Tsunade raged. "Anything is possible! He could've promised you a very large amount of money or power, or you could've promised him the same if you could somehow swoop in and gain a respectable title by taking care of damages after a mock attack! For all I know, you two could be lovers and think that an amazing way to spread the message of your love would be to publicly destroy the alliance between our villages!"

It was obvious that everything she was spouting was nonsense, and it really made Lee angry. Even though he knew she was only saying those things out of rage and the fact that her night of work had blended into a day of one, it still aggravated him. He really wanted to intervene and passionately defend his position, but he never got the chance to.

With his usual stoic face and a very serious voice Gaara calmly replied to her bantering:

"Actually, we were thinking that I'd just do him in public at the upcoming festival."

Three whole seconds of silence passed before everyone understood what he was saying. Lee understood it in the first second.

Three.

Two.

One.

Lee had to give a very long and careful explanation of the situation not only to the fuming Hokage and not to mention Gaara's siblings—who screamed at him about "putting rotten thoughts into their little brother's virgin mind"—and even Gaara himself, who did not quite understand why the room had flown into a frenzy right after he'd said those words. Lee was having a very hard time with understanding why Gaara said it in the first place. So, after he gave up on trying to tell Gaara why things had gone to Hell in a hand-basket, he threw his hands down in frustration.

"Gaara-kun, what on _Earth_ possessed you to say such a thing?"

"…It was just a joke."

Lee stared at him with a blank expression. Gaara stared back. They both stood there and looked at each other for a long time. Neither budged an inch.

When Lee's overactive imagination kicked in and he thought of Gaara trying to make a joke, thoughts overlapped again with reality and he could've sworn the Kazekage's eyes said "So are we still on for the festival?"

After that, he couldn't take it anymore.

He just died laughing.


	2. Just a Joke: Here Comes the Burn

**Disclaimer: ONCE AGAIN, I OWN NONE OF THE ANIME NARUTO! I claim no rights to it, even though it would be awesome if I could make something like it. Take some time to go read the manga—it's really good. This is only a project for fun and writing critique. Take it only as such!**

INTRODUCTION: So, I thought about the title of one of my previous stories, "Just a Joke," and ideas started spawning in my head. So I've decided to turn it into a trilogy! Am I awesome or what? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the ideas, although I will warn you that with each story the plot becomes more morbid. I have issues with making depressing stories. *sweat drop* This second story is about Sakura (*gags*) and normally I hate writing about her or even SEEING her, but this time, I'll make an exception because of the idea I had and how well it fits. So, I'll stop talking now and let you read! Feedback is always welcomed!

**(XXX)**

Whenever I walk around town people look at me and talk behind my back as I pass them. They're not used to seeing the usually-happy me with black rings under her eyes. When I get home my parents constantly pester me with passive-aggressive comments that clearly mean "you need help" and "maybe we should take her to the hospital …" When I walk through the halls at school teachers stop me and ask me why I look so unhappy. I fake my best, cheesy smile and tell them I'm just not sleeping well—that usually gets them to go away. And my friends just don't get it. They say, "You've got everything, Haruno! You're really popular now, you have a lot of friends and respect, and you've got the one guy everyone's after! Why do you seem so unhappy?" … I have all that … minus the last item.

Oh sure, we're called an "item." At first I thought I'd jump for joy when the king of silky smooth asked out some silly little girl like me. It was wonderful for a long time. My popularity naturally sky-rocketed and everyone asked me "how did you do it? What's your secret?" And unsurprisingly my cockiness rose with the other statistics in my life. Suddenly I was on top of the world and I mistook my stroke of luck for an authority to brag and gloat and give advice to other people on how to have a beautiful relationship.

Another immediate change was that I became the target of every man's affection. Since everyone wanted to beat _him_ I was the trophy they needed to collect. How much more hot air did I need blowing up my head? Now that I look back on myself during that time I realize that my head looked like a swollen balloon about to burst. But hey, they say love makes one blind. Or was it perhaps lust that guided me into the snake pit?

Since those rosy-tinted days my world has been turned upside down and now the only thing I know is … _he_ forgot his bento again. Who, you ask? I refuse to refer to him by any name. I doubt I could get the name out of my mouth anymore. And as I stand here rocking back and forth on my heels, I think I would rather just forget his name altogether. After all that I've dragged myself through because of _him_, he still wants me to do these favors for him? He still wants me to make bento for him and his little friend then call him to come get it when he forgets? It's absolutely more infuriating than anyone can imagine.

I look up and see him walking towards me, the friend I mentioned before trailing along behind. Dark bangs part just enough for onyx eyes to pierce through pale skin. Cold, empty eyes made of parts of the void I can't escape from. I hold out the bento without energy. I imagine my eyes look the same as his do right now.

"Here's your lunch," I say, my indifferent tone giving me even more reason to believe in the previous statement.

He takes them from me with a rough gesture and mumbles, "Thanks." He doesn't even try to fake a smirk anymore. I huff and mutter under my breath. I know he catches it but he doesn't say anything. He just turns around and heads back the way he came.

And now … here comes the burn. That ivory-colored skin wraps around the other boy's shoulder and pulls him in close the way I always wished to be pulled closer. To the one I always wanted to be closer to. _His_ lips close on lips that aren't mine and aren't even female. I guess even now I still wish it was me beneath that soft touch. But I won't humor him. I will not admit defeat to the one I've loved for so long—not after doing my best to defy him.

I know it makes him miserable to see the dark rims beneath my eyes. Even he is human. I know he's seen the scars on my wrists, and I know that he knows it's _his_ fault. Coldness is the only thing he shows me because he's sad and angry underneath the surface and because of the grip I have on him that won't let go, he will have to suffer the consequences of having to look into my eyes every single day of his life, for as long as I can manage. I want to hurt him so bad—I just want to scatter his brains across the floor.

But I'm a lady and that's not what proper ladies do.

I hear the scuffling of feet behind me and my whole body goes rigid. I won't even turn around to see who witnessed my pathetic situation. I don't want to see the mischievous eyes of the one who's heard the horrible revelation that will go out to everyone in the student body within the hour.

"… Sakura-chan …" A voice quietly prods at me as the scuffling slowly gets closer.

… Naruto, is that you? "… How much did you see?"

"… I think you know the answer to that question," he says, laughing nervously, trying to brush it off. He never really has been good at lightening the mood in these awkward situations, has he?

"… I think you should go, Naruto."

"But Sakura-chan …"

"Don't tell anyone what you've seen."

"… You know, it's okay to sleep."

Those words strike deep into my heart like a dagger. They strike more painfully into my core than even _his_ eyes do. I hug my shoulders. Suddenly it has become very cold. "What are you trying to say …?"

"I know you have a pair of eyes. And as long as you have that … you can see that he doesn't give it a second thought."

My blood runs cold as I am forced to face a fact I've wanted to deny all along. My revenge was worthless. Then wasn't it just an attempt to cling to some long-lost hope after all …?

"Sakura-chan … it's okay. If you're losing sleep over him when he sleeps soundly through the night, it's not worth it to kid yourself anymore."

"… So … all this time … my relationship and my revenge … are just a joke?" I feel the tears drip slowly down my face. For the first time I'm letting myself go. Why am I doing this in front of that screw-up Naruto?

… I guess I can't say I'm not more screwed up than he is right now. And right now … I'm willing to take any comfort I can find. At least I know he won't take advantage of that. At least that much …

If I told you I dived into his arms and sobbed like a baby, what would you say? If I said that in that moment I had never been gladder to know anyone, what would you think? If I told you he held my hand all the way home, would you reprimand me for associating with someone I've always considered somewhat of a loser? And if I told you that when I lied down to sleep that night that I'd never loved anyone else more in my life, would you believe me?

Whether these feelings are just because I've just been forced to look loneliness in the eye and admit that it's all been over from the start doesn't matter. Right now there's only one thing that matters to me right now: I have solid ground to stand on. There is one single pillar left keeping the sky from falling on top of me. Can you even fathom just how much it means to know there's still one thing that's real? Do you know how it feels to cling desperately to the one last piece of the shattered remains, hoping it isn't an illusion?

Please, someone … someone tell me … this won't also turn out to be just a joke …

**(XXX)**

Note: OKAY, SO THIS WAS WRITTEN LIKE … AT BLINDING SPEED. Imagine a munchkin in a big stack of papers, throwing aside papers with newly-written scribbles on them rapid-fire. That's me writing. Therefore I have no idea just how good it's going to be. And there's also the fact that I hate Sakura—that makes it harder for me to write from her perspective and make her look like she's not a you-know-what. Anyway, please tell me what you think, and look out for part three coming soon.


	3. Just a Joke: Stuck

**Disclaimer: Please stop making me reiterate how much I do not own Naruto! I wish I did, so stop crushing my dreams, you copyright companies! This is a project done only for fun and writing critique. So hush up and read!**

INTRODUCTION: This will probably be a very short and vague piece. However I believe that it will be my second favorite of the trilogy (since the first chapter is my favorite). I hope you can enjoy this almost as much as you enjoyed the original.

**(XXX)**

_You had no idea I was going to die, did you?_

I walk around Kiba as he stands on the roof of the school, relishing in how much misery is shown on his face … and yet at the same time I want to comfort him and tell him to step away from the ledge. He keeps taking small steps towards the edge like a frightened little bird trying to fly for the first time.

_You baby. When I died, I ended it without hesitation. If you're going to do this, be a man about it, will you?_

Inside, I really don't mean that. My actions are betraying my words even as I speak, standing in front of him, hoping my presence will be felt enough that he will be afraid to go further. For the time being, it seems to be working. I look into his eyes, hoping for some kind of explanation. Does he even feel sorry? Is he doing this for me or for himself?

His face is pale and he clenches his eyes shut, pulling at his hair. "It was just a joke …!" He staggers through me and to a pair of shoes right next to the edge. I remember them. They are my dirty old sneakers—I left them as a calling card, didn't I? Before I took the beautiful plunge and flew into the ground … "I didn't mean any of it …" He drops to his knees and picks up the shoes and clutches them to his chest, his voice trembling. "Oh God … Naruto …!"

… _Just a joke?_ I hear myself say. _You called me a monster … a freak … a weirdo. You called me names and made fun of me in front of all our friends just to show off … you let them bully me and hit me and hurt my heart … you call that a joke? You call all of the crap you said to me, all the ways you hurt me … a joke? Isn't that just denial of your responsibility?_

Kiba's shoulders shake and I know that even though he can't hear me, he can feel the impact of the words I've said and the despair I felt before I died. Tears spill from his eyes and he clutches the shoes tighter. There must be a part of me still left in those shoes, because it feels like his arms are around me. It … really bothers me. Why would he give me such a warm embrace after all this time?

… _Let go of me … get away from me … Disappear …! Just get the hell away! Why don't you go and die? Why don't you go see how it feels for your head to be crushed into the pavement?_

Years of rage are being released from my heart … and with it, my regrets. I regret never talking with Kiba rationally about the issue. If I had, certainly he would've understood, and things could've been fixed. None of this would've had to have happened. I'm not so much mad at him … but mad at myself. Please … don't listen to me … I don't mean what I say …

"… Alright, I understand," Kiba said, setting the shoes back down just as they'd been before, slipping his own shoes off. He sets them right beside mine. "This is what I came for, anyway …"

… _What?_

"I knew … you wouldn't be able to forgive me with a simple apology. I knew … the price would be much heavier than that." 

_What … what the hell are you saying? I already told you I didn't mean all of it, didn't I?_

"… Naruto … are you there? Are you watching…?"

_I'm here, Kiba! So just cut it out! You can't seriously want to go through with this!_

He closes his eyes and spreads his arms wide. "… Naruto … I'm sorry. I hope … you'll welcome me home."

All the times before that he'd belittled me and caused my heart pain flash through my mind. I can't stop the rage that starts pouring through my veins. After all this time, all he can say is "sorry?" After all that he's done to me—after all that everyone has done to me—this is the only thing he could say? He really thinks a simple apology will make everything better? Well I'll show him.

I stretch both my arms out and reach for his back, with all the intention of shoving him off the building myself. My eyes fill with tears and I scream out, _I hate you!_ And by the time I realize what I've caused it's too late. He's out in the air, nothing to catch him, falling face-first in what seems like slow-motion. I give a cry and lean over the edge, watching him, screaming "I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!" I know that I never actually touched him … but it feels like I was the one who pushed him and caused him to fall to his death. No matter how much I scream, he won't hear, and he won't stop falling.

_And it's all my fault._

Is this how Kiba felt all this time …? Was it I who didn't understand him, instead of it being the other way around?

Even though I know it's hopeless and I've heard his bones crack against the sidewalk already, and even though I see his mangled skull and all the blood leaking from it, I can't stop myself from screaming, hoping that somehow my words and apologies will mend the wounds and rewind time, so that he's still standing here with me, alive and well. The night air is cold and the tears running down my face make it feel even colder. I thought that maybe this event would bring me peace and allow me to move on … but now I feel more rooted to the spot than ever. I think … I'm stuck here.

Kiba … I'm sorry. I won't be able to welcome you home …

**(XXX)**

Out of all the ghost stories told in Konoha High School, there was only one that reigned supreme as the most terrifying and the truest. Everyone in the school had experienced it at some point or another while in detention, or while eating lunch on the roof. Even the janitor had experienced it and known the legend to be truthful—he knew it so well that he was afraid to work the night shift anymore.

There were no bangs, no violent acts of a poltergeist's aggression against school property, and no creepy silhouettes hanging around in hallways. It was not a haunting meant to reach the souls of the living. But everyone had heard the blood-curdling screams through the ceiling and the name "Kiba" cried over and over again, and everyone knew who Kiba was and what fate he'd suffered. But what was important is that everyone also knew who the voice screaming his name belonged to.

No one ever saw him, but the screams were as clear as day. A haunting chant echoed through the halls at all times of day or night, so much so that the principal was thinking of having the school shut down. The words of a desperate, long-gone schoolboy tore at the hearts of his former classmates as he sobbed:

_Kiba! Kiba! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Wake up! Kiba! I didn't mean it!_

_Wake up! Kiba! Don't listen to what I said!_

_It was just a joke!_

**(XXX)**

Note: Voila! She is done! Please let me know what you think of this. I thought it was pretty good … but it is really morbid, which I warned you about. Anyhow, please review, and also check out my other stories.


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